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Topic ClosedLiquid Tension Experiment 6/27/08 Downey, Ca

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Garion81 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Liquid Tension Experiment 6/27/08 Downey, Ca
    Posted: June 28 2008 at 13:48
The Downey theater where we saw this was about 750 seats with 150 of them in a small balcony. The stage was good size and they had plenty of room to work with. I thought they had some manner of aesthetics in the stage set up deploying the guys with hair, Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci to the right and they guys with no hair, Jordan Rudess and Tony Levin to left. LOL

My only complaint about the entire show was that I sat just off center toward the right side of the stage in the front row. (Yeah so why am I bitching) The problem was Petrucci had a rig with two speaker boxes both miked to the PA and the band was wearing the ear plug monitors so my question is why was his rig up so high? Even when he was chording I could barley hear Jordan Rudess's keyboard solos through the PA. (Jordan was running straight through the PA) I suspect that people who had a better line to the PA a few rows back would have been fine. Minor complaint though.

Let me state this I am not a huge Dream Theater fan. I have never seen Dream Theater and only have two of their albums but I have owned these two albums by LTE for a few years so I had an idea what to expect. Jim Harrel the promoter of the show asked how many musicians do we have in the audience tonight and about 80% raised their hands. The crowd was well behaved and pleasant. In fact I saw a lot people I knew from Calprog shows. Even with all of these people around it was special to have a buddy from Kansasfans there who also knew this music and Dream Theater as well and my son just back from a tour in Iraq who turned me on to Dream Theater.

Portnoy and Levin were pretty much the center of the visual site line with Rudess and Petrucci comanding left and right. They played almost everything off their two albums and added a special treat Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. It was interesting how these guys took those romantic themes and "metalized' them but it worked well. Enough Improv to make the now 8-10 year old songs sound fresh with a few twists along the way that casued Mike Portnoy to exclaim "Why can't you put a little Pnatera into your Jazz Rock fusion"?

I had seen Jordan Rudess perform last year with Rod Morgenstein so I knew what he was all about, a brilliant keyboardist with chops galore, but the one who stole my breath was Petrucci. He is simply a stunning guitar player. At one point they played a softer ballad with just Rudess and Petrucci on the stage and it was beautiful . Almost like something from Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow era.

I love Mike Portnoy's drumming that we discussed on the way home and came up with this combination Phil Collins (the good Phil not the bad Phil), Neal Pert and Bill Bruford. He pounds as hard as any rock drummer with still a great flare for fusion. Really a great drummer.

Tony Levin what can you say. The guys is master of the Bass and Chapman stick filling all the holes and creating some new exciting flavors around Portnoy's great drumming.
 
The great thing was no vocals.  I really think a vocalist would have ruined this and turned it into Dream Theater.  Without it these great musicans were allowed to express in formats that they would not do under the DT umbrella.

This was the ten year anniversary of this group and the whole thing was videotaped by a professional crew so I would look for that one coming soon. Wink



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sideways View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 28 2008 at 16:30
Very Nicely done Garion!!Smile

I'll add my quick lil tidbits that I posted on the DT forums.....


WHEW!!!!!  I'm actually stunned ..and speechless.      well....almost LOL

What a phenominal display of musicianship!!!! ClapClapClap

That was one hell of a show!  First!!  It seriously looked like they were recording it.  They had 4 Proffesional  video cams, one of them on a boom.  SO!!!  DVD on the way??

In my 14 years of listening to DT, I think the aspect that has appealed to me most, is the sheer brillance of the musicianship.  Usually, during DT shows, I catch glimpses of it during an instrumental song, solo, or medely.  What I saw tonight was those glimpses......for the "WHOLE...SHOW!!!!"  Throw into the mix the Improv /Jam factor and you might get my meaning.  Of course it's not DT....no JM or JLB.  That being said.....I would rank this show, as one of, if not the BEST, pure musical performance shows I've seen in my 45 years.

BIG props to the incomparable Tony Levin...  what a Showman!!! Thumbs%20Up.  I mean hell...the guy has been playing since what? '62?  He's played studio wise on a Rock and Roll list of "Who's who" albums.  Next up...JR.... WOW!!  I guess he sorted out his Roland issues with Japan that happened during the Chicago gig Wink  He was just stellar, especially during solo chops and piano tone laced segments.  One dynamic that was bizzare to me, having seen DT in the nieghborhood of 9 times, was the laid backness of MP and JP.  Not to say they didn't whoop ass....cause they both did ...in spades!!!  Just the fact that Tony and JR, too me, led the way.  It was actually very refreshing.

The setlist was similiar to the NYC show(s), maybe someone will have it in detail....I don't.  To me the show was one big Improv-Jam.  Highlights were deffinatly the 2 improv segments, and When the Water Breaks.  I'd say about half or so of their written material was tweaked to varying degrees, which added to the "Improv" flavor.  There was one snafu... right at the beggining of the 2nd improv (which actually might have prompted it)  something sounding like it "Blew out" from Johns gear.  While JR played a brilliant Piano solo...the techs were out fixing JP's gear.  All said and done...they didn't miss a beat.  On a funny note...during that Piano solo...MP had drew/printed something on a piece of paper, he kept trying to get JR's attention to look at it, twas pretty comical actually.

 Here are a couple crappy vid segments ($100 tiny vid cam ...LOL) For anyone interested.......   Helluva show!!!!!!! ClapClapClapClapClap

By the way, Sound quality was excellent!!!!  Small venue, I could hear all 4 of the guys perfectly, very well mixed!  Props to the Boardman!!.Clap


"Freedom of Speech".....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gtPhkEvr2K8



1st Improv Jam

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Egzuta0aZ4








Edited by sideways - June 28 2008 at 16:36
"Who would wish this on our people?..And proclaim that his will be done" Sacrificed Sons - Dream Theater
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 28 2008 at 17:06
Cry I missed the NYC gigs, sounds amazing though
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 28 2008 at 19:08

Censored.... I'm green with envy.... Cry

Florida sucks...Cry

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 28 2008 at 19:59
sorry they didn't do more shows for other folks to catch them.  But at least it looks like they're filming this one Wink
"Who would wish this on our people?..And proclaim that his will be done" Sacrificed Sons - Dream Theater
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 28 2008 at 20:45
Hopefully they're filming it, I'll deffinitley buy it..but what DT fanboy wouldn't? Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 28 2008 at 22:33
"but what DT fanboy wouldn't?" A DT fanboy that doesn't like LTE as much as he likes DT


Sounds like an amazing gig BTW, I would love to catch them live and if not, I would definitely buy a DVD of the performance if it turns out they would make.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 28 2008 at 22:42
Originally posted by sideways sideways wrote:

sorry they didn't do more shows for other folks to catch them.  But at least it looks like they're filming this one Wink
 
Yes I am sure the Nearfest gig was taped and this one had 4 cameras.  One behind Mike Portnoy and and one stage right on a boom stand that captured the whole band.  There were also two "floaters" capturing left and right stage places.  Hopefully I will make the cut.  LOL
 
 
Sideways are you going to see the Neal Morse show in Sept or Calprog in October?  We will have to get together and have a beer!  Smile
 
 


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 29 2008 at 00:10
Ahh, thats unreal. So cool that you got to go, going to the NYC show(s) didn't work out for me and my friends, but that would be amazing if it got released on DVD.
 
Hopefully they won't call it quits after this and I'll be able to see them.

"I was told, theres a new love that's born for each one that has died."
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 29 2008 at 00:15
^ Offical word that was the taping last night and there was two more cameras in the balcony.
 
Smile


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 29 2008 at 02:37
Originally posted by Garion81 Garion81 wrote:

^ Offical word that was the taping last night and there was two more cameras in the balcony.
 
Smile


You know...the vibe and rumors I've been hearing are that they're deffinatly wanting to rekindle the mix.  Possibly another studio project....and more.

Garion.... Im going to have to look at the dates...but if possible...I'll deffinatly be there!!!!!  We'll have to hook up :)




Edited by sideways - June 29 2008 at 02:39
"Who would wish this on our people?..And proclaim that his will be done" Sacrificed Sons - Dream Theater
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 29 2008 at 15:15
Originally posted by HughesJB4 HughesJB4 wrote:

"but what DT fanboy wouldn't?" A DT fanboy that doesn't like LTE as much as he likes DT


Sounds like an amazing gig BTW, I would love to catch them live and if not, I would definitely buy a DVD of the performance if it turns out they would make.
 
LOL You're a n00b Harry
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2008 at 17:42
Here are some pictures from Downey. The crowd shot was taken by Tony Levin.  That is my son on the far left in the front row.
 
 
There is also a link to Tony Levin's site that has a blog on each of the tour stops. 
 
 


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2008 at 18:02
Originally posted by Garion81 Garion81 wrote:

^ Offical word that was the taping last night and there was two more cameras in the balcony.
 
Smile


That's awesome.
If LTE finally got a DVD performance of them, it's about time as well.
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